Virtual Configuration Systems and Methods

1. A method comprising: receiving, at a host device, configuration data that corresponds to a configuration of a first instance of an operating system executed by a client device, the configuration data including at least one modification to the first instance of the operating system introduced by the client device during execution of the first instance of the operating system by the client device; storing the configuration data in a datastore that is located outside of a file system of the host device; receiving, at a second instance of the operating system executing on the host device, a request to load a file system from nonvolatile storage of the host device into volatile memory of the client device; in response to receiving the request, retrieving information corresponding to one or more instances of the operating system that have been checked out; determining, using the information and by the second instance of the operating system, that an instance of the operating system of the one or more instances of the operating system is not executing on the client device; in response to determining that an instance of the operating system of the one or more instances of the operating system is not executing on the client device: retrieving, by the host device, the configuration data from a datastore, the configuration data including the at least one modification; and configuring, by the host device, a particular instance of the operating system of the one or more instances of the operating system in accordance with the configuration data; and facilitating, by the host device, loading of the file system into the volatile memory of the client device, wherein the particular instance of the operating system of the one or more instances of the operating system is executing while the file system is loaded on the client device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving, by the host device, an update request to update the configuration data for the particular instance of the operating system; and updating, by the host device, the configuration data for the particular instance of the operating system in the datastore located outside of the file system.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising: facilitating, by the host device, termination of the particular instance of the operating system and the file system on the client device, wherein the configuration data is maintained in the datastore during termination of the particular instance of the operating system and the file system on the client device.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising: receiving, at the second instance of the operating system of the host device, a reload request to reload the file system into the volatile memory of the client device; in response to receiving the reload request, retrieving, by the host device, the configuration data from the datastore located outside of the file system; configuring, by the host device, a new instance of the operating system in accordance with the configuration data; and facilitating, by the host device, reloading of the file system into the volatile memory of the client device, wherein the new instance of the operating system is executing while the file system is reloaded on the client device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the datastore is nonvolatile.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the datastore is located in the nonvolatile storage of the host device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the client device is a diskless system.

8. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of a host device, including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: receive configuration data that corresponds to a configuration of a first instance of an operating system executed by a client device, the configuration data including at least one modification to the first instance of the operating system introduced by the client device during execution of the first instance of the operating system by the client device; store the configuration data in a datastore that is located outside of a file system of the host device; receive, at a second instance of the operating system executing on the host device, a request to load a file system from nonvolatile storage of the host device into volatile memory of the client device; in response to receiving the request, retrieving information corresponding to one or more instances of the operating system that have been checked out; determine, by the second instance of the operating system and using the information, that an instance of the operating system of the one or more instances of the operating system is not executing on the client device; in response to determining that an instance of the operating system of the one or more instances of the operating system is not executing on the client device: retrieve, by the host device, the configuration data from the datastore, the configuration data including the at least one modification; and configure, by the host device, a particular instance of the operating system of the one or more instances of the operating system in accordance with the configuration data; and facilitate, by the host device, loading of the file system into the volatile memory of the client device, wherein the particular instance of the operating system of the one or more instances of the operating system is executing while the file system is loaded on the client device.

9. The computer-program product of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: receive, by the host device, an update request to update the configuration data for the particular instance of the operating system; and update, by the host device, the configuration data for the particular instance of the operating system in the datastore located outside of the file system.

10. The computer-program product of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: facilitate, by the host device, termination of the particular instance of the operating system and the file system on the client device, wherein the configuration data is maintained in the datastore during termination of the particular instance of the operating system and the file system on the client device.

11. The computer-program product of claim 10 , further comprising: receiving, at the second instance of the operating system of the host device, a reload request to reload the file system into the volatile memory of the client device; in response to receiving the reload request, retrieving, by the host device, the configuration data from the datastore located outside of the file system; configuring, by the host device, a new instance of the operating system in accordance with the configuration data; and facilitating, by the host device, reloading of the file system into the volatile memory of the client device, wherein the a new instance of the operating system is executing while the file system is reloaded on the client device.

12. The computer-program product of claim 8 , wherein the datastore is nonvolatile.

13. The computer-program product of claim 8 , wherein the datastore is located in the nonvolatile storage of the host device.

14. The computer-program product of claim 8 , wherein the client device is a diskless system.

15. A system comprising: one or more processors; a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including: receive configuration data that corresponds to a configuration of a first instance of an operating system executed by a client device, the configuration data including at least one modification to the first instance of the operating system introduced by the client device during execution of the first instance of the operating system by the client device; store the configuration data in a datastore that is located outside of a file system; receiving, at a second instance of the operating system, a request to load a file system from nonvolatile storage into volatile memory of the client device; in response to receiving the request, retrieving information corresponding to one or more instances of the operating system that have been checked out; determining, by the second instance of the operating system and using the information, that an instance of the operating system of the one or more instances of the operating system is not executing on the client device; in response to determining that the an instance of the operating system of the one or more instances of the operating system is not executing on the client device: retrieving the configuration data from the datastore, the configuration data including the at least one modification; and configuring a particular instance of the operating system of the one or more instances of the operating system in accordance with the configuration data; and facilitating loading of the file system into the volatile memory of the client device, wherein the particular instance of the operating system of the one or more instances of the operating system is executing while the file system is loaded on the client device.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising: receiving an update request to update the configuration data for the particular instance of the operating system; and updating the configuration data for the particular instance of the operating system in the datastore located outside of the file system.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising: facilitating termination of the particular instance of the operating system and the file system on the client device, wherein the configuration data is maintained in the datastore during termination of the particular instance of the operating system and the file system on the client device.

18. The system of claim 15 , further comprising: receiving, at the second instance of the operating system, a reload request to reload the file system into the volatile memory of the client device; in response to receiving the reload request, retrieving the configuration data from the datastore located outside of the file system; configuring a new instance of the operating system in accordance with the configuration data; and facilitating reloading of the file system into the volatile memory of the client device, wherein the new instance of the operating system is executing while the file system is reloaded on the client device.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information indicates a count of the one or more instances of the operating system that have been checked out.

20. The computer-program product of claim 8 , wherein the information indicates a count of the one or more instances of the operating system that have been checked out.